Coffee Rubbed Pork Chops

Sharing is caring!

Coffee is an excellent additional to any barbecue rub or sauce. It adds a delicious depth of flavor your guests will love on these Coffee Rubbed Pork Chops.

For some reason, I’m into rubs this week.  I have no idea why.  Sometimes I get an idea and just run with it…a few different ways, flavors, styles.  So the mole steaks were yummy.  These were yummy, but different. I tried to find a different spice combination, but the coffee just matched with the cumin and paprika so nicely, that it was a little like the mole rub, but not quite like it.

I know there are a ton other coffee dry rubs out there, but I wanted one where you can taste the deep flavor of the coffee, so I didn’t want to overload it with chili powder, and onion, and what not.  It’s a simple rub combining coffee with paprika, garlic powder, cumin seed, fennugreek, and coriander.  I know…it’s an interesting combination, but it worked!  Oh!  And salt.  Don’t forget the salt.  Cause I did on the last one, and it needed salt.  I added it to the recipe after the fact.

I have this aversion to cooking with salt.  For some reason, I just don’t cook with it.  I must be really sensitive to it or something.  What some find as regular, I usually find too salty.  I swell up like a giant balloon if I’ve had too much of it in one meal.  It’s just unhealthy…me and salt.  We just have this love hate relationship that just isn’t working for me.  So, I usually keep salt on the speed dial for occasional flavah calls.  For the most part, my cooking doesn’t really need a whole lot of it.  The salt that is in the products I use or the ingredients I add is enough for my taste.  If S needs more, then he can add it before he eats the meal.

I’m not sure how I got onto the idea of the coffee rub.  It just popped into my head after the thought of the mole rub.  My brain works that way.  Sometimes, I have to explain to people my train of thought because I get the deer in the headlights look A LOT!  Then I have to *sigh* and explain how I made the leap, as I call it.

I took some chops which are usually supah huge!  I don’t mind!  That means I can take a package of 8 and make 8 meals out of them.  One chop is big enough for 2 people, which is good.  It saves money on pork.

Yeah the two didn’t quite match well, but what ya gonna do?  Just go with the flow!  I usually trim all the extra fat off the chops, but had to leave some on due the way the chops were cut on the second one.

I coated the chops with the rub and let them sit for a minute or two before putting them in the pan.

So, you can’t really SEE the coffee part of the rub, but it’s definitely in there.  The paprika usually trumps most colors in the rub.

Into a medium hot pan they do.  I don’t like to cook these chops in high heat.  Especially with a rub and my electric stove, they would just burn and I wanted a nice even sear and crisp coating on these puppies.

They were a little more brown than I thought they’d come out, but with the coffee it really did just come out nice and dark like that.  And they were SO TASTY!  You really could taste the deep flavor of the coffee, but not like drinking coffee.  It was delish!  They went well with the roasted brussels sprouts and the buttered garlic noodles.